The Man in Black
by beccalovesbumblebee
Summary: Nothing to do with the "Woman in Black". After they left Creekwater the cure that Sam gave Michelle is finally taking affect. Now they are working a case that may just put the girl they have grown to care about at risk once again. In Bend,Oregon children have been kidnapped and murdered, leaving no suspects other than the parents, is it a string of murders? Or something else?
1. Chapter 1

The Man in Black.

BLB-This is the second part of The Doll Maker, if you haven't read it, it isn't necessary but it may help you understand what exactly went down with Michelle, but other than that you don't need it. The short version of it is this: she was shrunk by a demon's curse when the boys found her and Sam talked with one of the demons other victims about finding her something to make her normal. Now they are on another case and this puts Michelle in the direct line of fire once again. This is Au, just because I am not following the storyline that closely, although it will mention parts from the series. Set in Season One, not too long after Dean dragged Sam away from Stanford.

I do not own Supernatural, I only own Michelle. Please R&R, Peace and Love to all.

Chapter One

Since they left Creekwater in the dust Dean and Sam had worked two more cases in about a week and a half. Michelle helped with the research as best as she could, Sam was even teaching her how to read and write again. They still had no idea where their father was, the only good news was that whatever Sam had given Michelle was finally taking affect. After spending almost a week at the size of an actual Barbie doll, Michelle woke up a few mornings ago at about the size of a one year old.

Michelle couldn't talk to her dismay, but Sam assured her it was only a temporary. She sat on the bed of the hotel room, in a makeshift cloth pair of panties Sam made her and one of Dean's old t-shirts draped over her small form.

"Dean, we should probably go get her some clothing," Sams said, "real clothing. Her size."

"Waste of time, waste of money. Besides look at the kid she looks happy," Dean responded.

Michelle did not look happy, her small face was warped with a look of confusion as she tried to find her toes in the mass of cloth draped around her like a blanket. When she heard them talking about her again, her brown eyes shot them a look that said 'why do you guys talk about me like I'm not here?'. Then she gave them a bitchface, before letting her face fall into a deep frown; she didn't look happy.

Sam and Dean both looked at her knowing that their fighting wasn't helping Michelle any. They shared a look, before deciding just to pack up and move out without worrying about Michelle's clothes.

After their stuff was loaded into the Impala, Sam carried Michelle out and then Dean got in starting up the car. Their ears were filled with the familiar sound of the car's engine, but before they got going Dean had to comment on Michelle's attire once more. "It is a dress with a built in blanket, can't beat it."

Both Sam and Michelle just shook their heads, neither of them said anything to Dean, not wanting to feed the fire any more. Michelle sat next to Sam, leaning against him; when Dean looked over he saw his brother sitting with "Baby Michelle".

If the boys didn't know that Michelle was a twenty year old, they would have guessed she was really a baby. Michelle's face was round and chubby, her arms, legs, hands and feet were like a child's and even her hair was short falling down her head in soft blonde curls. Heck, even her smile had changed, her teeth were spaced apart like a kids, the only thing that didn't change were her serious brown eyes, that held her lifetime of pain in them.

They had almost made it out of town, when a patrol car pulled onto the road behind them and promptly flashed its lights, urging Dean to pull over. Sam looked at Dean in worry, knowing they were driving around with a "baby" that was not in a car-seat, or even buckled down.

When the Sheriff's right hand man came up to Dean's window and indicated that he wanted Dean to roll it down. "Sir, do you realize why I pulled you over?"

"Uh, no Officer," Dean responded, trying to keep the cops focus off of Sam and Michelle who were sitting next to him.

"You have a baby in the front seat of the car, no car seat and she isn't even dressed. I'm going to need for you both to get out of the car with the child," the Officer commanded, Dean and Sam got out, Sam holding Michelle. "Now give me the child."

Sam reluctantly handed over Michelle, who was whining and beginning to fuss. Her little hands reached for Sam and Dean, not liking the Policeman at all; it took a lot for Dean not to just take her back from him and speeding off in the Impala; it wouldn't be the first time they had evaded the police and certainly wouldn't be the last. Most police wanted them to get out of town as quickly as possible, but this guy was about to take them back into town.

"You don't seem like a lady killer," Dean commented, receiving a stressed look from the cop and a warning glance from Sam.

"This doesn't look good for you boys, where did you get this little girl from?" The cop asked. "You didn't have this precious little girl when you rolled into town, babies don't just materialize out of thin air. If you boys can't answer, I am going to get you for child endangerment and kidnapping."

"She's our niece," Sam answered quickly.

"Your niece? Where are her parents at?" The Officer asked.

"Her mother brought her to us earlier in the day, and her father..." Dean trailed off, not sure where to tell the cop their fake brother was.

"He's with out father on a hunting trip. We are on our way to meet him right now," Sam finished Dean's sentence for him.

"Okay, well your niece needs a car-seat and proper clothing first, so you two are coming with me." The cop walked towards the car carrying Michelle. Her little hands reached for them, and her eyes were beginning to water.

"What about the kid, can we have her back?" Dean asked wanting to get Michelle back with them as soon as he could.

"No, she is going to ride with me; that way you boys will follow me to the store to get her a car-seat. I will give her back to you, when and if she can tell me who you guys are." The Police Officer climbed into his car and put Michelle in the front seat. The boys got back into the car, and followed the cop car to the local department store.

"This is a load of shit, he takes Michelle from us. Then proceeds to accuse us of kidnapping, and endangering her." Dean clutched the steering wheel in his baby, trying to hold the anger back.

"I told you we needed to get her some clothes," Sam muttered, not believing the situation either.

"Well Officer Takes-his-job-too-seriously is probably interrogating a girl who can't answer him. Also, took her from the only two people that she knows," Dean said trying to hide the anger in his tone.

"We'll get her back," Sam began, "Whether we have to beat the cop, or not."

"That's what I like to hear, I'm proud of you Sam." Dean nodded, but he wasn't liking where this was leading. Their path ended at the local department store in the baby department; the cop had already picked out a rear-facing car-seat until Sam corrected him.

"Her parents always put her in a front-facing car-seat. Michelle likes to look out the window and take in the scenery," Sam explained, and the Officer accommodated them. Then they moved towards the clothing. The cop seemed set on getting her anything in pink.

"She hates pink," Dean interjected, that ugly pink dress her demon dressed her in not to long ago, but pushed that to the back of his mind as a cute girl approached them and the Officer.

"Officer Jacobs, are you helping two new Dads get their bearings?" The young woman asked giving both Sam and Dean the once over before looking at Michelle and ruffling her hair.

"We aren't Dads," Sam said getting slightly embarrassed, why was it that everyone assumed that him and his big brother were lovers. Dean wanted to get out of this section of the store as fast as he could, but he didn't feel right about leaving Sam and Michelle alone with the cop.

"They are two clueless Uncles," Officer Jacobs responded. "Driving this poor baby around without a car-seat."

"Well it looks like you boys have everything under control, but if you need me feel free to call my name, or my number." The girl eyed Sam one more time, before handing him a small slip of paper that most likely had her phone number scrawled all over it.

After the girl sauntered away, Dean decided that he was going to get out of there too. "I'm going to take this towards the front," He said turning his back, picking up the car-seat box and beginning to walk away from his brother and the cop.

That was when they heard something heard something they hadn't expected to hear for a while, but there it was. Michelle's small voice ringing like a bell in the middle of the store. "Dean!" She exclaimed, and neither Dean or Sam could believe it, she had actually spoke. What they didn't know was the sight of him walking away, leaving her like that; drove her to speak.

Dean turned around promptly and cleared the space between him and the cop in a few moments. "Yes, Princes." He looked at Michelle, before his eyes met the Officer's once more. "Is that enough proof for you? I'm Dean, Dean Winchester."

The cop nodded. "Let me go pay for these for your troubles and you all can get on your way." The Officer's voice had sunk in embarrassment, which only caused Dean to smirk; he took Michelle from the cop, before the Officer walked away.

Once the cop had walked away Dean and Sam both just stared at Michelle. "Thanks for bailing us out," Sam stated. Michelle just nodded, going back to her silence.

"You only had one word in you, huh?" Dean asked. Michelle merely shrugged, it wasn't that she hadn't tried to talk; she had but it hadn't gotten her very far. "Well that one word was you screaming my name so I can't complain." At that comment Michelle smacked her small hand against his chest, causing Dean to chuckle in response. "Is that all you got Barbie?" Dean smiled at her.

Officer Jacobs came over with the bags, the car-seat box and even a small bear for Michelle, not pink per Dean's instructions. Michelle smiled when she took it from him, giving the cop the satisfaction he wanted from his action. That was why he did this job, to help people, to protect and serve.

"You guys are free to go. Sorry, I uh do my job well, and take it a little far sometimes. Take care," Officer Jacobs said giving the stuff to Sam and Dean before starting to walk away.

Michelle tugged on Dean's shirt getting his attention, before pointing towards the bathroom. She had to go and bad. Dean got the message, but he wasn't doing bathroom duty.

"Talk to Sam about that, me and Officer Seriousness are going to rig this bad boy into the Impala." Dean nearly threw Michelle at Sam, before grabbing the car-seat box and following after the cop.

Sam's hazel eyes met Michelle's and her face warped into the best "please, help a girl out" look that she could muster on short notice. Sam nodded taking the bags of clothes into the bathroom with them. It wasn't like she needed him to assist her in any other way but to help her stay steady on the huge toilet; falling in was a huge possibility for her.

Michelle was embarrassed to say the least. She was trying her best to hold it back, but Sam could see it in her tiny face as he stared at her. Honestly she was glad that Sam was helping her instead of Dean, he wouldn't pick at her because of this unlike his older brother. That was just how Dean was, trying to make everything funny, when most times the situations they got into were far from funny.

"We don't have to talk about this. Dean is just a little insensitive about these things," Sam muttered as if he could read her mind.

"Sam," Michelle was able to mutter. She wanted to say so much more to him, but her voice wasn't there, it hadn't caught up yet.

"It's okay, you don't need to say it. Let's just get you dressed and back to the car so we can get out of here," Sam said before throwing together an outfit for her and helping her put it on. Once she was dressed, Michelle looked like your average one year old, Sam even put her hair up in to pig tails to keep the hair out of her eyes.

When Sam walked out to the Impala with Michelle, the policeman stood there with Dean waiting for them. Michelle clutched Dean's old shirt like it was a security blanket, but no one but Dean seemed to notice that. "Now she really looks like a baby," Dean commented in his head.

Officer Jacobs looked at Michelle, before muttering, "Take care of your Uncles Michelle." Michelle nodded, reaching towards the policeman and giving him a kiss on the cheek, just to make the mans day.

After they said their short goodbyes, and loaded back into the Impala, Dean peeled out of that parking lot like the pavement was on fire. They sat in silence for a few hours, Dean and Sam could tell Michelle was angry with them, but it wasn't like she could say anything at The only thing they discussed was the possible case they were going to work in Bend, Oregon.

"Why so quiet back there Michelle?" Dean asked receiving a glare and an arm cross from the girl in the backseat, who was strapped down in the car-seat. "It wasn't like it was our idea, Princess. Just sit back and relax. It shouldn't be long now." Michelle pouted and Dean just turned on his radio and continued to drive onward.

At some point during the ride both Sam and Michelle had fallen asleep; Sam pressed up against the window and Michelle cuddling with Dean's old black shirt in the car-seat. She was cute Dean had to admit, but he wanted her to be normal more than anything, he could protect her better that way and he wouldn't have to worry about her so much.

Dean drove through the night, both Sam and Michelle woke up while Dean was getting coffee and donuts from a local doughnut place. He returned with donuts for everyone and a cup of coffee for Sam. "Here." Dean handed Michelle a donut hole and watched as she ate it. Usually he would never let anyone eat in his baby, but he'd rather brake his own rule than sit in the donut shoppe and have everyone flock to them assuming that Michelle, was his, Sam or even 'their' baby once again. So he just handed out donuts and coffee, before getting back into the Impala.

"Where we headed again?" Sam asked, the looming question in his mind.

"Bend, Oregon. We are close to a possible victims home, a child death case. Well multiple child death cases, this one may just be the only set of parents we have left that will let us talk to them. Their son was murdered a few months ago," Dean explained.

"And how does that make this our type of job?" Sam asked, knowing Dean was just getting to that.

"The mother told the cops that she felt like she was being watched, the lady couldn't relax or catch a break until the kid was out of the house," Dean said, "but of course since she seemed on the looney side, the mother was on the top of the suspects list."

"Anything else?" Sam asked.

"Well, the only thing the victims have in common besides being young children, is the fact that all of them visited the local hospital a few days prior to their disappearances. Oh yeah and did I mention that when they found the bodies that they had no pupils," Dean stated laying out what he knew.

"So what do you think we are dealing with here?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I figured starting at the most recent victims house may give us a good idea," Dean responded.

It was late in the afternoon when they pulled up the driveway of the little boys house. Instead of their usual policeman/F.B.I. Agent get ups, they stuck with just the badges instead, because they already looked unofficial on account of Michelle tagging along with them; which looked like they were bringing a "baby" with them. Sam grabbed Michelle out of the car-seat, mostly because her and Dean weren't exactly getting along at the moment. Dean knocked on the door and a woman in her late thirties opened the door looking at them with shock.

"Nancy, who's at the door?" A man who was probably about forty came up behind her and wrapped around her.

"F.B.I. Agents," Dean answered for the woman.

"We came to talk about your sons disappearance and murder," Sam added, before they both flashed their fake badges to the couple.

"What so you guys can brutalize and antagonize my wife again? No thank you," the man growled, before trying to close the door.

Dean put a boot in the doorway, stopping the door from slamming shut. "We just want to talk to you both. Me and my partner are trying to find out what happened to your son," Sam said. "That is why we are here."

"Fine you guys can come in, but if you cross the line, you guys are out," the man stated before opening the door and letting the boys come into their home.

"You guys usually bring your child along on your cases?" Nancy asked, shooting them a wary look.

"Oh no, this is our niece Michelle. She is with us cause her parents checked out, we usually have a sitter to watch her while we are gone, but she bailed on us today," Dean answered, and Nancy nodded leading them into the living room and motioning for everyone to take a seat.

"She is adorable," Nancy muttered before looking at one of the many pictures of her son that were scattered everywhere around the room and throughout the house.

"Thank you." Michelle tried to hide the annoyance in her eyes at the compliment, she hated being talked about even if it was a nice thing being said.

After that the boys asked Nathan and Nancy basic questions, most of the answers didn't add up to anything in their ballpark except for the fact that Nancy had felt a presence watching her from the time they left the hospital days earlier until they had discovered that their son was gone. The woman was getting antsy, and her husband thought of something to get her out of the room.

"Why don't you take Michelle into the kitchen and get her some cereal," Nathan muttered, kissing his wife's forehead.

"Only if it is okay with you guys," Nancy said looking at Sam and Dean, both of them nodded before Nancy took Michelle from where she sat in between Sam and Dean and took her into the kitchen with her. They were just thankful Michelle didn't put up a fight.

"I'm sorry about that, my wife hasn't been the same since Tommy died," Nathan explained. "She blames herself and the guilt is eating what is left of her alive. I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to recognize her for, she's almost gone; haunted by our sons death."

"What do you think happened?" Sam asked trying to get to the point.

"I don't know exactly, but it wasn't normal. Tommy was just gone, no sign of forced entry, no struggle, he was just gone; unless Houdini is back and killing kids whatever did this is unnatural," Nathan explained with conviction.

"So you believe your wife? About the presence she felt the days before he disappeared?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I know what you guys are thinking, Nancy didn't do this. She isn't capable of hurting anyone, let alone her son." Nathan got up and snatched a picture off of the mantle and handed it to Sam. "He was always so happy, but Tommy didn't find peace in death. His face was a mask of fear, and... and his pupils were gone, irises covering nearly his whole eye. I need to make sure whatever did this gets what's coming to it."

Meanwhile Michelle was sitting in a highchair getting baby-talked to by a mother, who was crippled with grief. The woman laid out cereal on the tray before her, the mother waited for her to eat it expectantly. To humor the woman, Michelle ate a few of the Cheerios in front of her; receiving a smile from the grieving woman. She hated this, not being able to say anything and being treated like a baby, she may look like one, but she was twenty years old for Christ's sake, but she was stuck like this until she was done "growing up" as Sam had put it.

"Come play with me." Michelle heard a little boy's voice say. She looked over and saw him standing outside of the kitchen looking at Michelle expectantly, the boy from the pictures that were cluttered around the house. "He'll keep us safe." The boy walked towards the door to a tall man dressed in a long black coat, when the boy went to him the man placed a hand on his shoulder, they both disappeared after giving Michelle a look that seemed to say 'I'll see you later'. Michelle wondered if the child's mother saw him, but from her unchanged expression she had guessed that she hadn't.

"Make sure your Uncles don't leave you alone angel," Nancy muttered, before giving her a sippy-cup filled with apple juice. Michelle took a tentative sip of the cool liquid, before placing it back down on the tray.

Nancy watched as Michelle nodded off and eventually fell asleep in the highchair, her little face pressed against the tray. Nancy took her out without waking the small girl. She took her back to her Uncles, who had just finished talking with her husband.

"She fell asleep in the highchair, I was just going to lay her down, but then I remembered I wasn't watching her." Nancy offered Michelle back to Sam, who took her before getting up with Dean. They had spent far too long here already, and it was getting late.

"Thanks Nancy." Sam nodded looking down at the short woman. "We should probably get going."

"Do you boys have a place to stay?" Nathan asked.

Dean nodded. "We travel a lot, don't worry about it. It's part of the job."

"There has to be something I can do for you," Nancy said looking between Sam, Dean, her husband and Michelle. She thought about it for a moment before she spoke again, "I have a pie in the oven and some steaks marinating in the fridge. I always make enough for a small army." She looked at them hoping they would agree to stay. "You guys are welcome to stay and eat." Nathan gave the brothers a look, trying to plead with them to stay; knowing if they didn't his wife's spirit would be crushed further. What they didn't realize was that Nancy had won Dean over when she said there would be pie, the free dinner was just a plus.

"We can stay, but after dinner we are leaving. We have work to do." Dean hated wasting time, but he had a weird feeling about this house. He felt like something was going to happen, and well there would be pie so he didn't have any other objections.

It wasn't long before Michelle woke up on the couch, while Dean and Nathan were watching some mind-numbing television, so Michelle let herself climb down off of the couch and she crawled towards the kitchen. Neither Dean or Nathan seemed to notice that she was gone. On the way there she was finally able to get her footing enough to walk the rest of the way. She passed a staircase, catching sight of the little boy once again.

"Come play with me," He repeated standing at the base of the steps, beckoning for her to follow him upstairs. Michelle shook her head before, she continued towards the kitchen to where Sam and Nancy were. Michelle walked over to Sam pulling on his pant leg, trying to get his attention.

"Not now Michelle," Sam told her, waving her off. "Go have Dean help you."

Michelle walked away slowly, but the little boy approached her putting a finger over his lips like he didn't want her to say anything. "Come play with me," He said again reaching for Michelle's hand. "You'll be safe with him." Tommy pointed at the man in the black coat, before he slowly walked up the steps trying to take Michelle with him. Michelle was drawn to the boy, so she followed him slowly up the steps and into the bathroom. "Come play with me." The spout on the tub began spurting out hot water before Michelle made it there. The boy was in the tub and Michelle felt herself climbing up onto the the toilet so she could get a better view, she just stood there looking at the boy in the steaming water.

Down in the kitchen Nancy was working on a salad when her back stiffened and she let the glass bowl fall from her hands and shatter on the floor. "Its back," Nancy muttered, that was when she noticed the soft sound of the water running upstairs. She wondered why her husband would be running a bath while they had company over. There was a loud crash, and question that left her lips in a shriek was, "Where is Michelle?"

"I don't know! She wanted my help with something, but she was going to see Dean," Sam muttered and that was when everyone heard the subtle crying coming from the bathroom before there was a splashing in its place.

"The bathroom." Nancy ran up the steps with Sam and everyone else on her tail, the door was shut and locked. "Michelle, sweetie open the door," Nancy pleaded banging on the door.

"She can't open the door , move Nancy," Dean commanded. "Goldie Locks, Papa Bear is coming in." He used his shoulder to batter the door, it hurt like a bitch, before he tried that again he gave the door a swift kick and the door gave with it.

When Michelle got up onto the toilet the door slammed shut behind her and the door locked. When she looked back over towards the tub Tommy's spirit was gone, and the man that kept him safe was standing over her causing Michelle to topple backwards into the tub. She cracked her head against the bottom of the tub and was able come up long enough to let a cry out in hope that someone would hear her. That when the gloved hand of the man dressed in all black held her face under the water, trying to end her, because of what she saw. Michelle struggled, but it didn't matter her struggles were nothing in comparison to the ghosts strength, it would be be like her trying to fight Dean or Sam; it just wouldn't work. The spirit dissipated when Nancy banged on the door, and they were saying something trying to talk to her; but Michelle couldn't hear anything besides the memory of the boys voice ringing in her ears. The voice hand changed, it said, "You'll be with us soon." That was when the door flung open and she was pulled out of the water and thrown over someone's shoulder.

Once they were in Dean saw Michelle laying under the water, he reached in the scalding water and pulled her out, putting her against his shoulder and patting her back hoping to expel any water that she had swallowed from her lungs, and maybe kick start her lungs again. She wasn't breathing. "Come on Michelle," Dean muttered under his breath, just as he felt Michelle's whole body lurch; water ran out of her mouth and down Dean's back as she coughed. He hated the feeling of the warm liquid running down his back, but at least Michelle was breathing, even though her small form shuddered against him.

"Is she alright?" Nancy and Sam asked simultaneously.

"I think so, but she is gonna have a huge knot on her head and she is shaken up quite a bit. Other than that I think she is going to be alright," Dean explained.

Sam and Dean shared a look knowing that whatever it was that killed Tommy, was the thing that had probably just attacked Michelle. They needed to talk to Michelle about what she saw, why she came up the stairs in the first place and how she ended up in a tub of nearly boiling water. They needed to get out of there, before whatever it was came back for a vengeance.

"You guys should leave, whatever it is has attached itself to me," Nancy muttered wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. "I don't want anyone elses blood on our hands. Take your niece to the hospital, get her checked out..." She trailed off, like she was trying to remember something.

"We plan on doing that," Sam muttered in response, he wasn't sure if they would actually take her to the hospital or not.

"Don't take her to the clinic in town, there is one a few towns over, that is where everyone has been taking there children since..." Nancy couldn't finish the sentence.

"Tommy died, and no one has went missing since," Nathan explained.

"Alright, we gotta take care of her now," Sam responded, before he followed Dean and Nancy down the steps. They headed for the door, when Nancy spoke quietly again.

"Don't leave her alone," She muttered. "That was my mistake. I shut my eyes, and went to sleep leaving him alone in that room... That's when he was gone, I knew he was gone. Don't lose her, like I lost Tommy."

Sam apologized about the broken door, but the couple didn't seem to care. They were just glad Michelle was alright, and that Dean and Sam didn't freak out about this.

"We won't, this little lady isn't going anywhere while we are around," Dean promised, mostly himself but also Michelle and the worried couple. That was when he wrapped up Michelle in his leather jacket pressing her against his chest. She was beginning to get a chill from being soaked and them dragging her outside wasn't going to help that any. Dean walked her out to the car followed by Sam, and he didn't relinquish Michelle to Sam until the Impala was started and Sam was sitting next to him.

"You want me to put her in the car-seat, or not?" Sam asked.

"Just hold her, and wrap her up in this would ya?" Dean grabbed the t-shirt from where it sat in the car-seat and gave it to Sam, who did what he asked and wrapped Michelle up in the old black t-shirt. "Kid'll freeze to death in the backseat." Dean pulled the Impala out of the driveway and headed towards the local hospital.

"Where are we headed?" Sam asked.

"To get her checked out at the local hospital," Dean responded, not heeding the warning they had gotten from Nancy at all.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Sam asked.

"We are going to have to check this place out at some point, why not now?" Dean asked. "We have a baby that needs to get checked out, that is pretty important."

That was the end of their discussion of why he was dragging them to the hospital. Dean knew that Michelle was most likely fine, but the hospital would be about the only place they could get answers on what exactly happened to these children, and maybe even why this was happening. After that they needed to try and figure out what Michelle had saw in that house even though it would be a challenge, because the girl could barely talk.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital Dean said something Sam had expected him to say in the beginning, "So much for free dinner huh?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Man in Black.

BLB- I'm back. This is shorter than I wanted this to be, but the chapters should get longer. Just an FYI I really I don't like Doctors, or hospitals. As I have said before I do not own Supernatural, Eric Kripke(I think I spelled that right) does. Please read and review. Peace and Love to all.

Chapter Two

Sam wasn't sure about taking Michelle into the hospital, something didn't sit right with him about this, but Dean insisted on it. He kept saying, "It's either leave her alone in a hotel room, or in the Impala, or take her into the hospital and get her checked out by a doctor. We have to check this place out anyways." When Sam and Michelle gave him wary looks Dean added after taking a ragged breath, "You act like I want to do this anymore than you guys do. We go in there together, or not at all." Dean looked at Michelle more than Sam at this point, knowing that she was the one at risk here, mostly because she was the closest thing to the spirits "target"; the thing he killed though she wasn't an actual child.

Michelle nodded, agreeing with Dean. They had to do this, it was now or later and her head was throbbing telling her that now was probably a good time. "Alright, it looks like it is two against one Sammy," Dean said taking Michelle from Sam and opening the car door and getting out. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, I am right behind you two," Sam muttered, still hating the idea that was running through Dean's head. The idea that he pressured onto Michelle. Neither of them knew what Michelle saw in Tommy's house, but Sam guessed it was whatever killed the young boy. Why him and Dean didn't see it or hear anything, he didn't know but Sam understood the risk Michelle was under by doing this. The girl was vulnerable, not only in her size but in what she could do in a fight; Michelle could all out beat Dean and it would have little to no affect on him, let alone a demon or a ghost.

Sam just watched as Dean took Michelle into the E.R. and explained to the nurse what had happened and that his niece needed medical attention. "James Calloway, and this is my niece Barbie. Her name is Barbra, but she only goes by Barbie," Dean responded when the receptionist asked for his name and the reason for their visit to the E.R. "My niece hit her head on the tub and may have swallowed some water. I just figured it's better safe than sorry."

"I need a pediatric nurse, in the E.R.," the older woman sitting at the desk said over the intercom. "Someone is on the way as we speak, just take a seat while we get a room ready for your niece."

"Thank you Ma'am," Dean muttered in response as the older woman waddled away. They took a seat in the nearly empty waiting room. Michelle pressed between Dean and Sam once again, she wondered if Dean did this on purpose, always putting her in the middle of them, or if it was purely a coincidence. Sam looked just about as antsy as she felt and Dean was tense under his 'I'm not worried, it'll be fine' guise.

That was when Michelle felt someone's eyes on her, watching her every move. She saw the man from the house standing a few feet away staring at her through his thick glasses taking in every part of her, it made her nervous but if Dean and Sam saw him they didn't show it. She buried her face into Dean's shirt with a whimper, trying to get the man out of her mind. Someone stroked her back reassuringly and made a slight shushing noise trying to comfort her as best as they could.

"It's okay, you're safe. Me and Sam aren't going anywhere," Dean whispered into her ear, just as a cute nurse came up to them and spoke to Dean.

"Are you the man with a sick niece?" The nurse asked, adjusting herself on her toes seeing the two handsome men sitting with the child in the waiting area.

"Yeah, but I think I am coming down with something, can you check me out instead?" Dean asked obviously flirting with the nurse.

"Let's focus on your niece," she responded, before turning away from them to see if the room was ready. "Follow me." She lead them to a small room with the standard examination table, computer and a few chairs in it. "Put her on the table, I'll be right back." Dean did as the nurse asked, before watching her walk away, well mostly staring at her ass as she walked.

"See that is the type of nurse I want taking care of me," Dean muttered under his breath. "My kind of hospital."

Sam could see the irritation on Michelle's face so he tried to warn Dean without spelling it out for him directly, even though his brother would never listen to him. "Dean, I would stop talking about that nurse. She isn't that cute."

"Did you see her? Or are you sick too? Need a little one on one with that nurse huh?" Dean asked, not getting what his younger brother was hinting at, but he would get the message as soon as the nurse began looking over Michelle.

"So you told the receptionist that you put her in the tub and she slipped under the water bumping her head, is that right?" The nurse asked, giving Dean a shy smile.

"That's correct," Dean responded smoothly taking a step back, letting the nurse do her work.

"Well, she is going to have a nice looking bump on her head. Other than that I don't think she is going to have any problems," the nurse said, "but we will check her just to be safe." Sam shifted on his feet, before he walked out of the room wanting to see if he could see anything weird going on in this hospital, maybe even ask the receptionist a couple of questions.

When the nurse bumped Michelle's knee with her reflex hammer, she took the initiative to kick the nurse in the stomach. The young nurses cutesy 'all smiles' demeanor had vanished and she glared at Michelle, not that Dean noticed as shock and disappointment covered his face. The nurse walked out of the room once more to regain her composure, Dean got up and looked like he was about to scold her.

"Why did you do that Michelle?" When the slight hurt crossed her face, Dean realized that she was taking his flirting with the nurse personally. "What I said was nothing, it doesn't matter we are going to leave once we crack this case and she won't matter, me and you are rock solid Michelle. But I promise that if you can't straighten up I will bust that little ass of yours." Michelle nodded not meeting Dean's harsh glare, he hated talking to her the way he did, but she needed to understand what was okay and what wasn't.

"So should I call C.P.S. before, or after you leave? You just said you were going to bust that little brat's ass, I kinda want to see that. That's one way to turn me on." At first the nurses sounded like a nurse should, but towards the end she sounded like Ursula trying to convince the Prince that she was a beautiful woman instead of a sea hag by using Ariel's stolen pipes.

"Don't call her that," Dean responded defending Michelle. "I take back what I said, I would rather have my brother be my nurse than you. Now finish the check up, and we will be on our way."

"She is fine, no concussion. Your niece, besides the bump on her head looks like a normal one year old should." The nurse's tone was sour as she went over Michelle's condition with Dean. "The only thing she needs bedsides sleep, is a huge attitude adjustment."

"She isn't the only one," Dean retorted, giving the nurse a pointed stare. That was when he picked Michelle up off of examination table and found Sam talking to the receptionist in the waiting room.

"How is she?" Sam asked seeing Dean approach with Michelle.

"Okay, the kids a pretty good judge of character, that nurse turned out to be a witch, when Michelle kicked her in the stomach," Dean stated, and the receptionist laughed.

"Told you to stop flirting," Sam muttered.

"That girl is something else," the receptionist said. "The girl hates children, but devoted her career to pediatrics. I told her when she interned here that she was doing the wrong job. Girl is just looking for single men with children, or even sometimes I think children themselves."

"Does she have anything to do with the missing children? Was she the nurse that saw them?" Sam asked.

"Young man, she saw Tommy Hicks, but the others were all saw by different nurses and doctors throughout the hospital. Although the doctor that she shadowed died in a fire not to long after she started. He was a really good doctor, and a devoted father." The receptionist sighed loudly. "That man had a hard life, died in a fire a few months before these murders began."

"Can I have his name please?" Sam asked, giving the receptionist his trademark puppy dog eyes. The receptionist nodded, before writing down the name on sticky note and giving it to Sam. Her petite handwriting read 'Arthur Wedsworthe'.

"There you go. I'm gonna forget y'all came in here. First patient we had in awhile, at least as far as visitors go that is. This place has a bad reputation now, one day it'll blow over. I hope," she paused staring at Dean and Sam, "Have a good evening boys, stay out of trouble."

"Why does everyone tell us to stay out of trouble?" Dean asked as they exited the hospital.

"Because we look like the type that gets into trouble," Sam answered. "But we look for the trouble more often than it finds us."

"So did you get anything back there? See anything out of the ordinary?" Dean asked Sam, but Sam had just shook his head. Michelle saw the ghost, and couldn't believe that Dean and Sam didn't see or even sense anything off about that place.

Michelle sat with Sam as Dean drove towards the local hotel, but before they made it there he had to stop and pick up dinner. That didn't shock Sam or Michelle at all, because Dean was ready for food just about anytime you brought it up; it was one thing the man truely loved and wasn't ashamed to show it.

After Dean had ordered and paid for the food through the local fast food joints drive-thru, they sped towards the hotel that they would be calling their temporary home. From what Michelle could tell the boys rarely had a place to call home, a place where they stayed for long periods of time like she had. Michelle's father was rarely around, but they had a place to live, her father hadn't dragged his family cross-country the way John Winchester had, but Uncle John didn't have much choice after his wife was killed, Michelle remembered her brother vaguely explaining Dean and Sam's family situation to her when she was younger. Their home was each other and this car, and on some level she felt foreign among the brothers, like she was the piece of the puzzle that would never quite fall into place.

Michelle didn't let that thought bother her as they finally came to a stop in the hotel's parking lot. Dean got out of the Impala and walked into the front door of the place to see if they had a room that they could rent for a few days. When Dean returned, Sam took the bags of clothing that Officer Jacobs had bought her and carried them and her up to the room, before Dean came up with the bags of food, leaving Sam to go back down to the car to retrieve the duffle bag that had their stuff in it.

Dean gave Michelle a couple of french fries and an order of chicken nuggets. "Eat up. It's been a long day." Dean took a seat on the bed not to far away from where Sam had sat her down on the couch. Michelle had just begun to eat when Sam had returned with the duffle bag and what Michelle had left in the back of the car; Dean's t-shirt and the two notebooks that she prized like her mothers golden broach. Since she left the inn, that was her home for most of her life she had pinned the broach into the journal that her father had kept on his various hunting trips. It was like the parts of her parents she had were coming together again, it just seemed right.

Sam gave her back both the notebooks and Dean's shirt. Once she finished up all she could eat, Michelle held out the shirt to Dean. She felt the need to give it back, because it wasn't hers to keep. Dean took it for a second, before handing it back to her. "Keep it, you will use it more than I will," Dean said and Michelle nodded a thank you to him, while he continued to eat his dinner. She focused on remembering what she had saw earlier. The memory of the man with his hand on the boy's shoulder was plastered to the inside of her eyelids, so that is what she focused on as she drew the sight as best as she could on the paper.

What came out of her efforts was a bad picture of a faceless man standing next to a little boy. She added the thick glasses to the man's face to make him look less like a faceless alien. The only thing she felt she had captured in the picture was the man's long black coat. Michelle tried to write out the word ghost, but she had problems remembering and forming the letters on the page. What she ended up with were the letters "gst", which wouldn't help them identify what she meant.

Sam watched her, before sitting next to her on the couch and asking her, "What did you draw Michelle?" Sam took in the creepy looking picture that reminded him of Slenderman, an urban legend that he doubted Michelle had ever heard of. He took the notebook and showed Dean the drawing. Dean paused taking in what Michelle had drawn, before asking the question Sam should've opened with.

"Is this what you saw?" Michelle nodded in response. "Is that Tommy Hicks?" Again Michelle nodded. He hadn't noticed her attempt at writing ghost yet, trying to communicate what she saw would be a lot easier if she could just tell them.

"So you saw that man with Tommy in his house? Is that what you were trying to show me?" Sam asked and Michelle nodded answering both of those questions. Sam could tell that Michelle wished she could answer the questions, like there was a lot she wanted to say, he couldn't imagine what that was like for her; knowing something they needed to know but not being able to just say it.

The boys let it drop, when they were running out of 'yes or no' questions, that and Michelle was tired; her little eyelids were drooping so they left her alone, Dean turning on the T.V. Michelle while laid on the couch covered with Dean's shirt, Sam kissed Michelle's forehead Mother Henning the girl before he went to take a quick shower before bed.

When Sam emerged from the shower the room was dark except for the minimal light flowing from the T.V.. Dean had fallen asleep watching the news, and Michelle had probably fallen asleep shortly before Dean had. His brother had kicked off his boots, but was still dressed which was so unlike Dean to fall asleep fully dressed like that, he usually slept in just his boxers, but Sam didn't want to even try to wake him. He knew that his brother would get mad at him for trying to mother him, so Sam left Dean sleep knowing that if he got uncomfortable that he would get up and adjust himself without Sam's interference.

Sam shut his eyes and actually let sleep take him, it was the first time he was able to sleep soundly without a nightmare since Jessica had died.

Michelle was face to face with her demon once again. She was used to this by now, these nightmare visits to her deceased stalker, who was taking the unlimited time he had to teach Michelle the trade that she had chosen over him in the end. She admitted that what the demon had told her was fact, she checked in her father's journal and everything had checked out. The demon was trying to help her, which was a foreign thought to her; but she accepted it none the less. Whatever creepy possessive feeling he had for her was still there, and was probably his main motivation for doing what he did. The demon had especially enjoyed her most recent visits, because she had lost her voice even in her dreams and in his mind it made her perfect, because she couldn't argue with him.

Michelle felt herself returning to the waking world sooner than she thought, but didn't fight it. Whatever was pulling her back was probably more important than her demon coach in hell. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, but she could feel someone watching her, like she was prey, something that was being hunted.

"Come play with me," a girl's voice whispered in her ear this time, and that snapped her eyes open, but when she looked into the darkness around her there was nothing, but darkness and the soft sounds of the boys steady breathing. She tried to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but she couldn't relax, someone was watching her and she couldn't relax while she was being stared at like this.

Michelle slowly sat up and lowered herself onto the floor from the couch, taking tentative steps away from the couch and towards the isle between the hotel beds dragging the t-shirt behind her. Both Sam and Dean were sound asleep, and she hated to wake either of them, but in the end she chose Dean, because lately it had been a miracle for Sam to sleep at all, let alone soundly.

Michelle patted Dean's shoulder gently trying to wake him, she touched him three times before he shot up looking around the room for a threat or his own impending doom. When he saw nothing that went bump in the night, his sleep-filled eyes rested on Michelle.

"Michelle? What's wrong?" Dean whispered when he saw the worry and discomfort on her face. Tears beaded in her eyes, because she was frightened of whatever had attached itself to her, especially since neither Dean or Sam could see it.

After they had just stared at each other for about five minutes, Dean had remembered that Michelle couldn't answer him. "Can't sleep?" She nodded. "Want to sleep in the bed with me?" Michelle nodded again in response, relieved that he asked that. Dean put the knife he kept under his pillow on the nightstand that stood between the two beds, before picking up Michelle, laying her on the bed next to him and wrapping an arm around her protectively. "If there is anything out there that is after you Michelle, they will have to go through me before they can get to you. Get some sleep, we have work to do in the morning."

She still felt like she was being watched, but the presence was a lot less intimidating with Dean holding onto her. In his arms she was able to got to sleep, and for once her dreams weren't a passage to the demon that held a claim on her soul and the presence didn't urge the usual nightmares of things she could only dream of changing. It didn't bother her, because Dean was there even though he hated looking soft, he cared enough to let her in even if it was only a little bit.


	3. Chapter 3

The Man in Black

BLB-I'm getting to the point of this, slowly but surely. I do not own Supernatural. Also if you have any feedback or advice for me on how to improve this or even where I should go with this. I'm open to suggestions, just not flames.

Chapter Three

When Sam woke up he discovered Dean cuddling with Michelle on his bed. The small girl was pressed against Dean's chest engulfed in his brother's strong arms, they both looked so peaceful. There was something going on between his brother and Michelle, but he didn't quite understand it. The two seemed to balance each other out, the girl was opening up his brother a little bit and with Dean that was huge. Sam wondered if it was just Dean's protective instincts, or something more. One thing he knew about his brother was that he wanted to protect anyone he could, and save people especially him and maybe even Michelle.

Although Sam still wondered was how Michelle ended up in the bed with his brother, did Dean just reach over and pull her onto the bed unconsciously, or had Michelle chosen to climb into the bed with Dean when she woke up late last night. He didn't have much more time to think about it, because Dean sat up and stretched leaving Michelle on the bed.

"What time is it?" Dean asked Sam with a yawn.

"6 am," Sam responded.

"In the morning? Where does the day go?" Dean asked, before getting up and going into the bathroom. He was gone for a few minutes, before returning to the room only to see Sam powering up his laptop to do a search on the name that the receptionist had given them last night.

"So what's the plan for today?" Sam asked looking up at his brother, who looked like he was getting ready to go somewhere.

"I was going to got get coffee and breakfast while you did what you do best," Dean muttered in response, taking a seat on the edge of Sam's bed to put on his boots and lace them up.

"Yeah, I was going to do a search on that name that the receptionist gave me last night, I figured that would be a good start," Sam answered, but since Michelle was still sound asleep he decided to ask about Michelle. "So what happened with Michelle last night?"

Dean shrugged. "I'm not sure. She woke me up, looking pale and freaked out about something. It's not like she can explain what she is feeling, or anything for that matter. I just did for her what I would do for you Sam, tried my best to make the monsters go away, but it takes more than anything I can do in the end."

Michelle stirred, before sitting up slowly catching the tail end of their conversation. "Morning Princess," Dean said and Sam nodded before typing away on his laptop. She just got up off of the bed and went back over to the couch grabbing her book and drawing a dark pair of eyes on the paper, the eyes that she still felt watching her to this moment.

"Michelle?" Dean's voice brought her attention back to him. "I'm going to grab breakfast and some stuff, you want to come with me? Sam is in his research zone, so he won't be in the talkative mood." Michelle flashed him a 'you act like you are look', before Dean could continue. "I'm just saying if you want to tag along, you can." Michelle nodded, crossing the room to get her little boots and put them on, before crossing the room and returning to where Dean stood by the door. "Michelle is coming with me Sam." Sam mumbled a quiet response, before waving them away. "That is the all clear," Dean quipped, before he took her hand and opened the door, leaving the stuffy room behind them.

She hadn't expected for him to let her walk, but there he was grasping her hand in his. Dean's usual pace was slowed, which Michelle thought would bother him, but when she tugged his sleeve bringing his green gaze to her, Dean just smirked at her worried expression. "I'm in no hurry, stretch your little legs. I'm right with you," Dean breathed, keeping pace with Michelle no matter how hard it was for him to do.

They had walked all the way to the Impala before Dean picked her up to put her into the car, when he scooped her up Michelle had reflexively grabbed onto his t-shirt clutching the soft fabric in her little fist. "Relax, I'm not going to drop you," Dean said, before he unlocked the car and got in setting her down on the leather bench seat that made up the front of the car. The familiar sound of the car's engine roared to life, breaking the silence of the early morning. The sound of the engine was something that comforted Michelle, it had lulled her to sleep when she was the size of Dean's finger and still did to this day, but it was more than that this car was becoming a part of her life, the reliable vehicle that ruled the pavement; taking her boys from where they were, to where they needed to go.

As if Dean knew what she was thinking, he patted the steering wheel in a loving gesture, before speaking. "There is no car like her, she was my Dad's, me and Sam spent a lot of time with her growing up and then after I finally turned sixteen my Dad gave her to me."

Michelle nodded, just as Dean put the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot heading towards a local diner, where he could hopefully get a few breakfasts to go. 'Stinkie's' probably wasn't the best place Dean had ever stopped for breakfast, but it certainly wasn't the worst. He had took Michelle in with her carrying her this time, receiving looks from all of the women in the diner, who looked like Michelle was the first cute baby they had seen in a long time.

Dean ignored them as he approached the counter taking a seat on one of the stools as he waited for someone to ask for his order. A sunny blonde girl that was looked like maybe she was a senior in high school, she flashed them her pearly whites, before approaching them with a little menu and her waitress notebook open.

"So what can I get for you?" The blonde asked. "Or do you two need a minute?"

"Uh, no I think we are good," Dean responded, as the girl looked at Michelle and made a funny face at her only getting a look of disgust from Michelle. "The kids a little weird, especially when people flock like she is the oasis in the middle of the desert."

"Sorry," the blonde muttered, her blue eyes meeting Michelle's brown eyes but Michelle gave her a smile and a little giggle letting her know that it was okay.

"I need three breakfasts to go, two of the breakfast sandwiches and what'll it be Michelle?" Dean asked, wanting to give Michelle the choice no matter how small it was. The blonde girl and Dean both paused as Michelle looked at the menu, she took the thing from Dean before pointing at a picture of two small pancakes covered with colorful berries. The waitress looked at what she was point and nodded.

"Good choice, I'll have Old Stinkie make them a little smaller for you Sweetie," the blonde said before she bustled into the kitchen and shouted orders to Stinkie in the kitchen.

Dean and Michelle waited in silence before the blonde girl returned to talk to them. "It might be a while, Stinkie is on a smoke break and there are a few tickets before yours."

"Don't worry about it," Dean said. "Is there anyway I can get a cup of coffee while we wait?" Blondie nodded, opening her mouth to ask how he took it, but Dean answered before she had even uttered a word. "Black."

Blondie, whose nametag read 'Carley' poured Dean coffee into a white mug before handing it to him. "So, what brings you guys to Bend?"

"We are looking into the Tommy Hicks murder. Something doesn't seem right about this to me," Dean paused to take a sip of his coffee, the wave of warmth and energy flooded him as he swallowed the dark liquid. "The local cops think it was Nancy Hicks, but the lady was so shaken and guilt-ridden I don't think she was capable of it."

Carley shook her head. "Nancy didn't do it. She loved that little boy, the same way you love your daughter. She would've never let anything happen to him, which is why it was such a shock when it did."

"She isn't my daughter, Michelle is my niece. My little brother's girl," Dean explained patting Michelle on the head.

"Sorry, I just assumed," Carley muttered.

"It's alright. I just don't know where to start you know, the parents seem innocent and the cops couldn't find anything connecting them to what happened to Tommy. It just doesn't add up," Dean stated taking another drink of his coffee.

"You'll think I am crazy for saying this, but it was 'the Man in Black'," Carley responded, before someone came behind the counter to help her even though it was a slow morning. Since she was off the hook for the moment she came out from behind the counter and sat next to Dean on the same side as Michelle. "Since Joe just started I can talk for a while."

Dean nodded wanting her to continue her thought. Carley wanted to hold Michelle, without anyone saying anything Michelle wrapped an arm around Carley's neck and let herself be held by the waitress. "The Man in Black?" Dean asked trying to get her to continue.

Carley just merely nodded. "It is what folks around here call the ghost that lives in the hospital." The girl looked at Dean trying to gauge how crazy the man had thought she was after she had told him that. When he urged her on she continued. "Very few people actually believe it, because the only people that saw him were children."

"And you believe them?" Dean asked, knowing there was more to this story.

"I do, because I saw him and so did Tommy," Carley said, waiting for Dean to say something.

"You saw him? But I thought only children saw him?" Dean asked.

"I know I look a lot older than I am, but I just turned fifteen. I only work here 'cause my Dad owns the place," Carley muttered.

"So Stinkie is your Dad?" Dean chuckled. "I really don't want to know how he got that nickname."

Carley nodded, before bringing attention back to what she was saying. "The man just stood there watching me, every move I made he followed. I just thought that he was a doctor, maybe playing a prank on me but I found out the doctor that it was had died weeks before in a fire. I felt like I was being followed for a while, like I always had eyes on me, but then it just stopped." Dean nodded, recognizing the same feeling that Nancy had described to him yesterday.

Someone, who Dean assumed was Joe came out of the kitchen with a brown paper bag. "Carls, to go order, two breakfast sandwiches and the flapjacks."

"Over here," Carley called motioning towards Dean and Michelle. "It's on the house."

"No, no kid, I can pay for it," Dean insisted.

"Pay for it by getting rid of the ghost, or proving Nancy's innocence." Carley looked into his eyes becoming more serious than he had ever a teenager before. "Do you're job, I know you aren't a cop, but don't worry secrets safe with me." She put the figurative key in her mouth, locking it and then throwing it away. The girl gave Michelle back to Dean, before turning away to leave. She was back behind the counter, before she muttered one last thing, "If you need someone to watch your niece, I'm here all week."

"Thanks for everything." Dean gathered the food and Michelle, before carrying both of them out to the Impala. "There's my research. We should probably head back, before Mother Sam gets worried about his little chick," Dean teased. "But first I want to get some beer and make a phone call first." With that said Dean started up the car and they headed towards the nearest convenient store, as soon he put the car in park he pulled out his cellphone. The light from the screen casted a shadow on his face as Dean considered whether or not to call his father for the hundredth time.

After a few minutes of thinking about it Dean just did it. He dialed his father's phone number only getting the voicemail once again. After his father's familiar voice explained that he couldn't be contacted and gave out Dean's number for anyone that needed their help urgently. Dean sighed, before beginning to speak, "Hey Dad, it's Dean again. I don't even know if you listen to these messages or not, but it would be really nice if you could call me back. Sam is with me and we found Michelle, you remember Ralph? Me and Sam found Michelle cursed and hiding in the town's inn, the damn demon was hunting her for ten years. I'm putting together a real rag-tag team of monster fighters. Bye." Dean hung up the phone and Michelle just looked at him with a slight sadness in her eyes as she looked at him. "Don't worry about it, I haven't heard from Dad in a while. He's missing and that is the main reason Sam is coming with me. We are going to find him."

Michelle nodded pointing to herself, trying to tell him that she was going to help them. Dean seemed to understand what she was saying. "I'm going to grab beer, you will be alright here for a few minutes?" Dean asked. Michelle nodded in response from where she sat next to the bag of food. "Stay with the car, bite anyone that looks threatening to her or you and most importantly she'll keep you safe." After that Dean got out of the car and walked into the small store.

"Come play with me," A voice spoke from behind her, but when Michelle turned around there was nothing there. "You'll be safer with him. He won't leave you alone." A cold hand reached out of the darkness and clutched her shoulder. It was a child's hand about the size of her own and it was trying to pull her into the shadow of the backseat.

"No!" Michelle screamed. She wasn't used to her own voice and neither was the ghost because it receded back into the shadows satisfied with watching her.

Dean felt like someone was following him, like there were eyes were on him even when he was in the Impala. At first he thought that it was just Michelle's eyes that were bugging him out, but even in this nearly empty convenient store he still felt like someone was watching and taking in his every move. He quickened his pace not wanting to leave Michelle alone any longer than he had to. Dean paid for the beer and nearly jogged back out to the car to check on Michelle.

Michelle was still there, but something had the girl as white as a sheet and panting like she had ran a mile nonstop. He flipped open the door and got in quickly setting his case of beer in the back.

"Hey, Buddy!" Someone yelled at Dean so he turned to look, there was an older looking man watching him. "This may be a small town off the interstate, but that doesn't mean you should leave a kid alone in the car like that, you never know when someone might take off with her."

"Okay, thanks for the warning," Dean muttered, before getting into the Impala and putting his focus on Michelle. "Hey, what's wrong?" The girl was trying to catch her breath, and Dean was inclined to let her. Michelle held out the drawing that she did last night and pointed to the tall man in black. "What he is here?" Dean asked and Michelle nodded frantically her blonde curls bobbed up and down at the motion. "Where?"

Michelle pointed to the back of the car where she could feel the cold gaze on her. From the way Dean looked at her after that Michelle could tell that he felt something as well. "It isn't that far to the hotel, just stay calm the last thing I need is for you to get possessed. Breathe and we will figure this out. I promise."

Michelle nodded, shooting Dean a look that asked 'do you feel it?' Dean nodded,"If you mean, like someone is watching your every move then yes. I have felt it since we left that hospital, but I thought it was just you and Sam sending me freak vibes or something."

After that Dean peeled out of the parking lot and headed back towards where Sam was waiting for them at the hotel. The ride was about two minutes long and by the time they made it back Michelle was more than ready to get out of the car. Dean got out before grabbing the bag of food and the case of beer, Michelle slid to the edge of the bench seat before positioning herself to get down. "What do you need me to help you get down?" Dean teased causing Michelle to shoot him a glare. That was when she hopped down and managed to shut the heavy door of the car behind her before standing next to Dean. "You go first, if you fall I'll be behind you," Dean muttered down to Michelle. The girl nodded before leading the way up to the room. Dean really told her that so that she would be in his sight the entire time, no one would be snatching Michelle while he watched her.

When Michelle made it to the door, she pounded on it a few times before Dean slid the key card into it and flipped the door open only to find Sam asleep on the bed with the laptop open. Michelle instantly went over to her notebooks and began reading and scribbling down random things into it. Dean gave her the pancakes before waking up Sam. "Hey Nancy Drew, get up." He shook Sam until his brother jolted awake.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Just thought you want to eat," Dean responded handing Sam his sandwich. "I also want to know what you found out."

"We'll get into that after we eat," Sam said shutting his laptop and taking a bite of the sandwich.


	4. Chapter 4

The Man in Black

BLB- I do not own Supernatural. I love you and I promise that this finally gets to the point. The doctor's story is finally out.

Chapter four

After they finished their breakfast and Dean made some more coffee. He settled down taking a few sips of the warm liquid before looking at his brother expectantly giving him the 'start talking look'. Sam nodded before flipping open the laptop and going over what he had found with himself one more time. Dean cleared his throat prompting Sam to start talking.

"So I did a search on that name we were given, you know the doctor that nurse Ursula shadowed?" Dean nodded, when Sam paused. "Well, the good doctor's name came up in the local newspaper a few times before his obituary did."

"Why's that?" Dean asked getting slightly impatient with his brother and Sam gave him the 'I was getting to that look'.

"The first was his wife's suicide, then when his children were taken from him a week after their mother's death but it doesn't end there. The children both went missing while they were in foster care, the foster parents were taken into custody for negligence and because they admitted to killing the children and hiding the bodies. No one believed them and the children's father Dr. Arthur Wedsworthe was the prime suspect in his children's disappearance. He was arrested twice, but was released because there wasn't enough solid evidence to hold him on," Sam explained and Dean nodded not getting one thing.

"How does this make Doc a vengeful spirit?" Dean questioned, trying to get to the point already.

"A few months before the disappearances began the doctor took his own life. He doused his house in gasoline and lit it on fire. Everyone that knew him said that losing everything and being hounded by the police lead him to it. He left a note explaining exactly why he did it," Sam paused to read it out word for word from the police file he hacked into on the computer. "It read, 'I lost everything and what death didn't take from me the government did. You took my children, the only thing I had left to live for and when the system failed them like it does so many others, you blamed me. I NEVER SAW THEM AFTER YOU ESCORTED THEM AWAY FROM ME! One day I'll find them and I will find some way to feel better. The people that were taking care of my children will burn for what they've done, just like I will. Everyone will pay.' The letter was signed Arthur Wedsworthe."

"So this guy is killing other people's children, because two idiots caused his children's disappearance?" Dean asked and Sam looked at him in disbelief. "I mean I would get haunting the people that did it, but why someone like Nancy? Children like Tommy? They had nothing to do with it."

"Maybe they turned a blind eye to what happened to him," Sam paused, when Michelle looked over at them, "Or some of them might have supported the Doc's kids being taken away from him. Punishing the community for not helping him get his children back."

"That isn't an excuse, the man was a doctor and a father, he devoted his life to helping people so him doing this makes no sense," Dean exclaimed getting irritated.

"I know, but look at this." Sam turned the computer towards Dean there was a picture of a tall man wearing a long coat on the screen and it looked similar to Michelle's drawing. "That's the doctor."

"And what Michelle saw with Tommy Hicks." Dean pulled out the picture Michelle had drew last night and showed it to Sam once again. "Michelle, me and Sam are going to go outside for a minute okay? We gotta get something from the car." When Sam shot him a skeptical look, Dean just mouthed 'Just go with it Sam'. That is when he got up and walked towards the door hoping that his pain in the ass brother wouldn't try and argue with him.

The brothers stepped outside and stood a few doors down. "What is this about?" Sam asked.

"I wanted to talk to you alone, where Michelle can't hear us." Sam nodded understanding, before Dean continued to explain himself, "I think the doctor has attached himself to Michelle, you remember how Nancy said she felt like someone was watching her every move after her and Tommy were finished at the hospital? Well I have felt that way too, and Michelle feels it too. She woke up in the middle of the night and looked freaked out, like something was after her. I left her in the car for five minutes and when I got back she was hyperventilating in a panic, and..."

"And what Dean?" Sam prodded.

"I put her in this situation Sam, took her into that hospital even after Nancy warned us not to. Something else happens to her it is on me." From the way Dean sounded the guilt was beginning to eat at him.

"She went in there on her own Dean, if she wasn't okay with it Michelle would have told us." Dean opened his mouth to tell Sam that his word choice sucked, but Sam cut him off. "With or without words."

Dean shook his head. "No, the girl went in there because I wanted her too. I convinced her."

"Rationalize it whatever way you want to Dean, still she is a semi-grown woman and she made a choice; doesn't make it your fault. We'll stop this guy," Sam said. "That is all we can do."

"But at what cost Sam? We may lose Michelle," Dean retorted.

"This crush thing is getting out of hand, if you like her just say it Dean. Don't tell me this is just you caring for an old friend, because this goes beyond that," Sam pointed out and Dean shot him a glare. "Remember you told me about Jess?" Dean shook his head. "You told me to stop blaming myself and to blame the thing that did it. That's what you need to do Dean."

"So what is the plan?" Dean asked trying to get off of the subject.

"Since the doctor's corpse was destroyed in the fire, and we don't know what the doctor's ghost is holding onto I would say that we should start by finding his children."

"And how do you expect to do that? If the doc killed them and hid their bodies, I would bet that he isn't going to be up for a little heart to heart about where he hid them." Dean let the sarcasm mask any emotion he had felt moments earlier.

"I don't think he killed them, I think the foster parents did and hid the bodies," Sam responded. "Then turned themselves in when the doctors ghost began haunting them, hoping that it would put the spirit to rest but it didn't."

"How do you know he didn't do it? I mean he is spending his time now stalking and preying on children; it isn't a far jump from killing your own."

"He wrote in his note that he didn't see his children after the cops took them away from him, and then that he was going to find them," Sam paused when the realization crossed Dean's face, "he wouldn't have to find them if he was the one that killed them and buried the bodies."

"Okay Sherlock, but how do you expect to find them then?"

"Talk to the people that probably did bury them," Sam answered.

"So we are going to visit them in county jail?"

Sam nodded. "But you aren't going to like the next part."

"What?" Dean asked raising his voice slightly.

"We are going to have to leave Michelle. Here. Alone," Sam said slowly.

"No way," Dean argued. "There is no way I am agreeing to this."

"Then we will ask her," Sam responded before heading back to their hotel room and reentering it.

"Leave her out of this," Dean said following Sam into the room. Michelle looked at them both in shock, wondering why they were arguing now.

"No. It is her decision like it or not Dean. The cops will never let us take a baby into the prison to visit with two people convicted of negligence and homicide." Sam was talking and Michelle honestly had no idea what they were talking about.

Her face warped into confusion as Dean scooped her up off of the floor along with her notebook. "Fine," Dean breathed. Michelle drew a question mark on the page, not sure what the hell they were fighting about.

"Me and Dean are going to follow a lead on this case, but in order to do that we are going to have to leave you here alone for awhile is that okay?" Sam asked staring into Michelle's brown eyes. She nodded at first, before scribbling something on the paper in front of her.

'I'll be fine,' the note read and Sam knew it was more a way to calm Dean's worries than an answer to his question. Michelle handed over her note to Dean before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Both Sam and Michelle knew Dean was far from okay with leaving her alone, but it was either his brother go talk to criminals alone to try and get a confession from them about where the Doc's children are, or leave Michelle alone in a locked hotel room.

Both Dean and Michelle felt eyes on them, but were trying their hardest to ignore it. This was getting unnerving for Dean, being watched made him nervous and since he knew it was most likely a ghost, that made it worse.

"Now I really do need to go out to the car," Dean muttered before leaving the room and going to get stuff out of his baby.

The boys left after Dean and Sam gave her a long talk about how salt deters ghosts. They put a salt circle around the center of the room where Michelle was sitting. Dean shot her a worried glance after Sam had left the room to start the car. "Stay in the circle no matter what, even if you see something it can't, he can't cross the circle unless you break it. As long as you stay there you'll be safe." Dean scooped her up into a hug, squeezing her and even crushing her a little bit. When she struggled a little Dean put her down back into the circle and ruffled her hair, receiving a swat from Michelle. Dean chuckled, before opening the door and stepping out. The door didn't click though,and a second later Dean's head popped back in to tell her, "Don't drink my beer." He was serious, but Michelle gave him the 'seriously?' look. Dean nodded, before shutting the door and leaving Michelle alone with her thoughts.

She just sat there in the salt circle for a while, before the shadows in the room seemed to be watching her. Michelle tried to keep her breathing steady knowing that the ghosts couldn't get to her as long as she sat in the circle. The man in black came out of the shadows followed by two children, he strode forwards until he was at the edge of the circle. The little girl got as close as she could to Michelle and growled, "Come play with me."

Michelle shook her head and stared at them in disbelief it looks like the doctor found his children after all. She wanted to tell them to leave her alone or to just go away, but she couldn't. Michelle still didn't have her voice back. The doctor just stood there staring down at her and waiting for her to snap under his gaze, but his children were not as patient the girl kept trying to coax her and the little boy had motioned for her to come to him so far Michelle hadn't moved. The doctor realized that he would have to change tactics if he wanted to snatch the hunter's child.

"Come on Child," the doctor coaxed. "It is either you, or your Daddy."

"Not my Dad," Michelle retorted inwardly.

"He won't see me coming, because he hasn't been touched. Although now that I think about it his screams may be more entertaining than the cries of a mute and the torture he can endure is far more than you." The doctor held out a hand to Michelle as if he was offering her a deal. "Unless you want to take good ol' Dad's place." Michelle took his hand reaching outside of the circle.

As soon as her hand was in the doctors hand Michelle was ripped out of the salt circle breaking it and pulled into the shadows with the spirit. She was gone and the world around her faded as the cold hand clamped over her mouth. A feeling of lightheadedness engulfed her leaving an emptiness in the place of her consciousness.

As the boys finally made it to the county jail Dean had felt the stare on him falter and dissipate, but he didn't notice as him and Sam were escorted into the interview room where the two former foster parents sat waiting for them. Dean secretly hoped that these people wouldn't need much convincing to just come clean about what happened, but no one would know until they went into the room and talked.

When the boys were let into the room in their classic "monkey suits" that made up their federal agent getups the two people sitting in chair parallel to where they stood looked up from where they stared at the floor.

"We need to talk," Dean stated pulling out the chair in front of him loudly and sitting down.


	5. Chapter 5

The Man in Black

BLB- Sorry I haven't updated in a few days it has been busy at home. I do not own Supernatural. This is set in season one. Strictly Au, since I am not following the order of event in season one. Thanks for reading this.

Chapter five

"We need to talk," Dean stated pulling out the chair in front of him loudly and sitting down.

Sam followed his lead taking the seat next to Dean and staring at the couple before them intently. The couple shared a look, before staring at Sam and Dean looking like they were being observed under a microscope.

"We told the cops everything we know," the woman told them desperately clasping her man's hand tightly on the tabletop.

"Some say that being arrested usually puts a strain on a relationship, but for people that killed two children and then ratted each other out you two seem close," Dean quipped. "So either you guys are psychopaths or there is something you didn't tell the police."

The woman shook her head vigorously. "We told the cops," she paused to change her position nervously and take in a shaky breath, "everything."

"You and I both know that isn't the truth," Dean responded pointing out her blatant lie.

"And we aren't leaving here without the truth," Sam interjected changing his position so that he was above both of the convicts that were handcuffed to the table in front of them.

"Well then you may be here for awhile because there is nothing to tell," the man stated crossing his arms and leaning back as far as he could in the chair.

That was when Dean finally noticed that his nerves had gone down; that the feeling of being watched was gone and that freaked him out. "Sam, it stopped. The feeling stopped, I think Michelle is in trouble, We have to go," Dean whispered to his brother, but the couple heard parts of what he said.

"Dean, even if we leave we will just have to come back here," Sam muttered back and Dean crossed his arms.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked sounding concerned.

"What's wrong is that while you two sit here and hide a freaking secret, there are children out there being murdered. We are trying to stop it, but we can't do that unless you come clean." Dean was obviously frustrated with these people and most likely worried about Michelle who was at the mercy of the doctor.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The man asked getting defensive.

"You know about the doctor's ghost. That is the reason you two turned yourselves in right? 'Cause you couldn't handle the doctor watching you! Meanwhile we left our niece in the hotel room to wait for us, the kid saw the ghost in the hospital and it attached itself to her. She's going to die unless you two can tell us where the doctor's children are, we need to know the truth," Dean explained, pleading with the people.

Usually if people didn't know about or believed in the supernatural they would stare at Sam and Dean like they were crazy, but these two just looked at them with a look of knowing. They knew about the doctor's spirit or felt it at some point at least.

"You ever feel like someone is watching you or following you?" Sam asked being as calm as he could.

"After the doctor died, I felt like there was always something there in the shadows," the woman began receiving an irritated hiss from her husband. "Harold, we've lied for so long it is time the truth came out. These young men want to stop this, let them try."

"I'll ask you again, what happened to Arthur Wedsworthe's children?" Sam asked calmly.

"They were in bad shape when the police handed them over to us. The poor things wouldn't eat anything I made for them. Even when I asked them what they wanted and they would just stare at me, like I never said anything to them. We were going to take them to the hospital the morning we found them dead," the woman explained.

"The kids were coping with everything all at once, their mother's suicide and then getting taken away from their father it was just too much for the children to handle all at once," the man muttered under his breath.

"So what after you found the children dead, what did you do?" Sam asked trying to speed this up, because Dean was becoming impatient.

"Oh we know what they did," Dean stated. "They hid the bodies and reported the children missing. So the doctor could take the fall for you guys?"

"We didn't kill them," the woman said. "Isn't that what you wanted to hear?"

"No, we want to know where the children are," Dean answered. "Where did you hide the bodies?"

"Fine, I'll tell you." Harold sighed loudly. "We took them back to their old house and buried them under the willow tree under the cover of night. We knew that if the cops found them there that they would blame Arthur immediately."

"You were framing the guy? Letting him take the fall for what you two let happen?" Dean just kept going.

"It was wrong okay, none of this should have happened," the woman cried. "Arthur if you can hear me, I'm so sorry... For everything."

"Is that all you needed from us?" Harold asked.

"Yeah, that is it. We are done here," Sam muttered touching Dean's shoulder and pulling him towards the door. "Come on, we gotta check on Michelle."

"Yeah I know," Dean responded, before he booked it back out to the Impala. The engine was purring almost instantly and they were on the road faster than normal. They just hoped that Michelle would still be there when they got back."

Michelle only knew she had fallen asleep, because the demon's face flashed to her and he was feeling chatty once again. This time he wasn't smiling and he actually looked concerned in his own way.

"You've gotten yourself into trouble now, you're going to feel a needle in your arm. I don't have a lot of time, I wish I could have kept you from this but you chose life instead of me. The saddest part of this is your soul is at risk and if the ghost takes it I'll lose you," the demon said sounding utterly disappointed. "Survive for me pet and whatever you do just remember it isn't real."

"What do you mean?" Michelle managed to scream before she was sucked from the demon and into that all to familiar room at the inn.

She just took in a deep breath and tried to relax, but the panic was sinking in from the memory it was like it was happening all over again. Only now there was a voice in her head, screaming above the commotion around her. Besides the hiding and the smell of death settling around her stung bringing tears to her eyes. The shadows under the nightstand were staring at her and the feeling never let up no matter how small she made herself.

"This is where you died. You never made it out, just like the rest of your family," a man's voice whispered from behind her in the corner.

"I'm not dead, this isn't real," Michelle responded remembering what her demon coach had told her before she was brought here. "I killed the demon, sent his sorry ass back to hell. That is where you are going to go once I am done with you."

That is when the demon's hand reached under the nightstand causing Michelle to try and press herself farther into the corner. "Does he look dead to you? You never killed him."

"This is a memory. You are using my memories against me you sick bastard, Dean and Sam will get you. They will find you, or some way to stop you," Michelle growled back at the voice.

"Dean and Sam? Oh you mean the hunters that you imagined? The ones that you knew years ago and you imagined coming to your rescue to avoid moving on? Face it, they don't even know you exist. I'm only here to help you," the voice pleaded with her. "You're dead Michelle. I'm the angel of death sent to try and take you to the place where you belong. Your family are waiting for you, especially your mother and Nick."

"Don't. Talk. About. MY FAMILY!" Michelle screamed and the ghost realized he had hit a nerve. "And you aren't the angel of death, you are the man in black. A sick freaking doctor that my friends will put into place and maybe on the slight chance you go to heaven I hope my family gives you hell for eternity, but I doubt you have the chance to meet the Lord."

"Why did I think you would listen to me? You haven't and I have been trying to get you to move on for ten years. You just keep reliving the same day over and over again, you are trapped and I am just trying to help you," the voice began, "Don't you want help Michelle?"

"Not the kind of help you have in mind. I haven't moved on yet because I'M NOT DEAD. This isn't real. The only thing that is trapping me is you," Michelle hissed and that was when the connection was severed and she fell into darkness again.

Arthur was getting really tired of her stubbornness. One thing he knew was that this wasn't a child, whoever this Michelle girl was she was a twenty year old trapped in a little girls body. That is what made this all the more difficult, she would never believe him and even if she did he doubted he could subdue her soul even after it was separated from her body. If he couldn't convince her during this last round Arthur would just pull her out of her body forcefully if he had to and then he could sell her body to a demon that needed a knew vessel. One thing that he knew for sure was that Michelle had to be disposed of before the hunters got here or it would end horribly for him and his children.

The doctor had been at this for hours but yet Michelle still hadn't cracked. He needed a new approach, so he decided to change up the memory a little. He put her back there towards the beginning hoping that maybe a little talk with her brother would open her up to him.

Michelle was brought back from the darkness and in the inn room once again. No one was there except for her and Nick; her big brother. The voice was still there, but it was quieter like she hadn't "died" yet. Her brother towered over her from where she was standing before him. His eyes were vacant until they seemed to come back just to stare at her. The hand nearest to her rubbed a finger along her back trying to reassure her or comfort her in some way. A second voice spoke into her mind louder than the other to remind her that, "it's not real."

Michelle laughed. "Nice try my brother died as soon as he entered the room. You aren't going to win this fight, you can't trick me."

"Chelle, I'm not tricking you. It's me, it's Nicky," the fake Nick muttered trying to reach for her again, but this time she backed away from him slowly.

"No, this is not real. You aren't my brother," Michelle muttered.

"I protected you Michelle. I tried to keep you safe, but I failed. You died with us, I need you to trust me. Let me help you move on," the impostor tried to convince her, but Michelle wasn't budging. She wasn't buying into this twisted version of her memory.

Michelle clapped for the ghost's efforts, before sassing him more, "Nice try, it would be very sweet of you Nick but I AM NOT DEAD!"

Her "brother's" composure changed before he stated coolly, "You aren't now, but you will be." That was before she was snatched up in his iron grip. The whole scene changed and she was standing in front of the ghost once again, but his hand was in her forehead, picking at her brain before he saw her standing there in little else than a grey sheet wrapped around her. Her body was pale and an I.V. dripping black liquid into her arm hung by the metal slab that her lifeless form was cast upon.

"Welcome, now you see I'm done playing games with you. I wouldn't have had to do this that way if you would have just cooperated," the doctor mused as his hand appeared from her forehead and the dark aura around him began to wrap itself around her, pulling her towards him.

"Am-Am I dead?" Michelle choked out as she was being pulled into the space under the doctor's black coat. All she could see was darkness in front of her.

"No, but soon your soul will move on even though your body is still alive, it'll make a perfect vessel for someone," the doctor stated, "you'll only be tortured forever and it will be so sweet when a demon tags along with Sam and Dean, they won't even see it coming when you stab them in the back and kill them literally and you won't be able to do a damn thing about it because you serve me now."

"I serve... no one," Michelle choked out weakly, before a light enveloped her where the darkness once was. When the blinding light subsided and there was a woman standing in front of her protectively. The woman looked similar to her in a few ways, they had the same brown eyes and blonde hair but this girl was prettier than her or at least that was what Michelle thought.

"There has been a slight change of plans Arthur," the woman said slowly. She sounded gentle, like a mother would when correcting a child. "In life I am protecting this girl and in death my husband, well what's left of him at least will get her soul. Michelle ended the cycle that I started years ago, so you can't have her."

"You are a ghost Jane, I could take you in place of her," the ghost paused to think, "But I think it will be more fun to have Michelle around for awhile at least long enough to see me torture the hunters." The doctor smirked, before he put his hand back into her forehead. "You won't be able to return to your body until you are broken free from the nightmare, or at least you won't be able to wake yourself up. You can go now."

"Go where?" Michelle asked. Where the hell did he think she was going to go? Michelle sure as hell wasn't moving on; she would be sent straight to hell back to her demon and she wasn't going into the doctor because that not only sounded wrong, but an eternity of torture was about the same as going to hell.

"Back to your hunters. Try and make contact with them," the doctor commanded and she felt compelled to do it. "Maybe you will realize how they treat things that are not human, now that you are basically a ghost."

"I'm not-"

The doctor shook his head. "No, you aren't dead. Your heart is still beating and your brain is still alive, but you are in a coma and I am the only one that can wake you up." He sounded so smug it hurt, that is when she was whisked away back to the hotel room that the boys had rented.

Dean and Sam had made it back to the room only to find it empty. The salt circle was broken and from the way it looked she was dragged out of it and across the room. Dean was pissed from the way he looked he was about to punch a hole in the rooms wall. Sam just stared at him while the whole thing set in.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean screamed as he paced back and forth.

"Relax. Dean, you freaking out is not going to help her or us," Sam said attempting to stop his brother from going on a rampage.

"Sam, the girl is the size of a child. She couldn't fight one of us off, let alone a ghost. So don't tell me to relax," Dean argued, "We need to go to that damn willow tree, dig up the doc's dead kids douse them in salt and gas then set them ablaze and then set the tree on fire for good measure." Dean was ready to march out the door when Sam got in his way.

"We can't do that until we find where he took Michelle. That and this thing seems to thrive in the dark. He is a shadow Dean," Sam declared. "What we are going to do is outline this room to keep the doctor out and get some sleep then first thing in the morning we are going to find Michelle and end this thing."

"Who died and made you the boss?" Dean asked as Sam began scattering salt around the perimeter of the room.

"Your judgement Dean," Sam responded. "You aren't thinking clearly. Now do whatever you have to do to get to sleep tonight, I promise we will find Michelle in the morning."

Dean couldn't explain it but as Sam was almost finished with the salt he felt a presence. "Stop." He put up a hand and Sam stopped to stare at him waiting for an argument but he didn't have one.

"What, Dean?" Sam asked.

"Something is in here. I can feel it. Actually finish the circle and trap it in here with us," Dean said pulling out his E.M.F. which beeped letting him know there was something there and Sam did as he said. "At least if the doctor is stuck in here with us he won't be torturing Michelle. You hear that! You can't hurt her, try me on for size tough guy. Wait, you pick on children 'cause they can't fend you off, I hope Michelle gave you hell."

What Dean didn't know was that one the salt couldn't keep out the doctor since he was the darkness and two the ghost he was screaming at was Michelle. She hated the feeling of being trapped, but she was at least happy that she was trapped inside the room instead of outside of it. This way she could stop the doctor if he came for Dean and Sam.

She chuckled knowing that they couldn't hear her. "I did Dean. The man can't convince me I'm dead. I'm surprised he can actually convince the children to trust him." When she spoke the lights flickered, something that never happened when the doctor entered.

"When I find you, I will kill you for what ever you did to Michelle," Dean growled. "The girl has been through enough. You'll be sent straight to hell, maybe you'll get a nice suntan."

Michelle slowly walked towards Dean until she stood in front of him, just looking into his eyes that glared blankly at the wall. Her hand brushed his unconsciously and that made Dean tense.

"You want to give me a check up doc?" Dean taunted. Michelle wanted him to know it wasn't the doctor so she dared to let her lips brush his cheek. "A little frisky are we doc?"

While Dean had his little one-sided taunt-fest with Michelle, Sam had formed rock salt barriers around both beds and was just about to lay down when he noticed Michelle's notebook laying forgotten in the center of the broken circle. Sam picked it up and decided to leaf through it before laying down on the bed. Dean showered quickly while Sam read and Michelle just watched. The salt kept the girl in a very confined space in the room and when she would try to cross it, her body would burn like she was on fire. That is why she stayed back and didn't say or attempt to do anything.

Shortly after that the boys turned out the lights and went to sleep. As time passed slowly around Michelle she had began to feel the darkness swell around her once again. The doctor entered the room over the rock salt and looked at her with a smirk.

"How did you do that?" Michelle asked, baffled as to he crossed over the salt barriers without any difficulty.

"The salt doesn't affect me like it does others. The salt while it may repel trapped souls and spirits it cannot keep out the dark, that is what I am darkness," the doctor explained. "But you on the other hand are affected by salt. You are not only trapped, but I bet this will hurt." The doctor picked her up by the throat and pressed her against the wall burning her entire body. "I'm going to enjoy killing the hunters or at least playing with their fears until they become a trapped soul like you."

"NO!" Michelle screamed and the light in between the beds flipped on dispelling the ghost from the room. The light was his weakness as long as the light was on she couldn't come back from the shadows. The hope of keeping him out was shattered when Dean sat up and flipped the light back off. The doctor was forming in the room again as the light faded and it was nothing but darkness again. "Don't hurt them, I'll do anything."

"That's what I like to hear," the doctor said before he picked her up and held her against the wall again savoring the scream that escaped her as he held her there. The only thing Michelle could feel was burning and growth as her body continued to grow without her.

The place where Sam's nightmares usually took him was replaced with the darkness of the hotel room. What struck him as weird was that he was looking at him and Dean sleeping, was he looking through the doctor's eyes? A shadow appeared in front of him and pressed him against the wall. Immediately he was filled with a burning as his form was pressed against the "wall". The shadow was talking but it was quiet muffled under Sam's mind protesting the pain.

"NO!" He choked out, but it wasn't his voice. It was Michelle's. As the scream resonated through the room the lights flipped on and the shadow was gone. That was when Dean grumbled something about him turning on the light, before quickly turning it off. The shadow began to reform in front of him and Sam felt himself speaking once again, "Don't hurt them, I'll do anything."

"That is what I like to hear." That is when the burning resumed and he shot up in his bed waking up from the nightmare.

The first thing he did was turn on the light, hoping that it would get rid of the doctor once again. When Dean sat up to turn on the light again Sam smacked his hand out of the way. "Dean, don't do that. Wake up."

"Where did the night go?" Dean mumbled opening his eyes and glancing at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand by the lamp. "It's still here. What's wrong Sam?" He paused to yawn. "Another nightmare?"

Sam shook his head. "A vision or at least it seemed like one. It seems crazy, even for us."

"Start talking then," Dean commanded. "We are burning nightlight. I know we can work around sleep deprivation but sleep sounds really good right now."

"Michelle is in the room with us," Sam began and Dean looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. "No, I'm serious. I was seeing what she was seeing and feeling it too. She is the spirit we trapped in the room with us."

"How do you know that Sam?" Dean asked.

"Well she was being attacked by a dark shadow, it pressed her against the wall. Michelle is the one that turned on the lights I believe it is what sent the doc packing. At least we know the salt works the stuff packs a serious burn," Sam explained.

"But how does that make whatever it is Michelle?" Dean asked not believing Sam.

"When I was in the vision as her I spoke in her voice. If I was looking through the doctor's eyes I would've saw Michelle instead of the shadow," Sam stated and Dean nodded.

"Break the salt circles and then we turn the lights out and get some shut eye," Dean responded before getting out of the bed and breaking the circles around the beds while Sam did the one around the perimeter.

"Michelle, are you there?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Michelle answered and the lights flickered. Dean sat on the edge of the bed his E.M.F. going off quietly sensing her presence in the room.

"If you are right Sam and it is Michelle, she is still here. Now that she can leave if she needs to, we are going back to sleep," Dean grumbled. "Michelle, if you aren't dead I will save you. I promise." He yawned, before laying back down and getting ready to turn off the light.

"What if the doctor comes back?" Sam asked.

"I want him to come back, I want him to take me. If he takes me tonight then you can track me using my cellphone and then we can find Michelle as well," Dean answered.

"You want to use yourself as bait?" Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing, his brother couldn't be serious.

Dean merely nodded. "How else do you expect to find where he takes the children? Let him take me. First light of day tomorrow track my cellphone and come after me. I'm sure with our friend on the other side playing protector, I'll be fine."

After that Dean turned off the light and he went back to sleep. His breathing slowed back into a peaceful slumber as his brother worried and Michelle stood watch. Sam felt the cool of Michelle's hand brush his forehead trying to comfort him and help him go back to sleep. Whatever she did helped as his eyelids fluttered shut and Sam fell into a light slumber but his dreams consisted of Michelle's vision once more.


	6. Chapter 6

The Man in Black

BLB- Sorry this took longer than I thought, I have been kind of busy with school, family and other things. I wish this was longer, but I am hoping next chapter will be. I do not own Supernatural, right now it is a little Michelle-centric. I know OCs aren't usually liked in fandoms, but I enjoy writing them from time to time.

Chapter 6

Michelle just stood there watching over them as they slept. The darkness was almost as overwhelming as the undeniable silence that filled the room. The only sounds that could be heard were Sam and Dean's breathing and the steady thrumming of their hearts. Michelle silently wished that she was sleeping with them instead of standing guard and waiting for tall, dark and creepy to return to drag her or Dean off into the night.

The silence and darkness was starting to make her jumpy, everything around her seemed to be a threat, so when the vents groaned as air was pushed through the vents. Michelle jumped out of her nonexistent skin at the noise, scanning the room for any threat either the doctor or her reaper finally catching the scent to send her to hell. But there was nothing there and for that she was grateful for. Secretly she hoped Sam wasn't still seeing things through her eyes, but when she saw the goofy smile plastered across his face she realized he probably was.

"You still with me Sam?" Michelle asked wondering if Sam could hear her through the weird connection thing they had going on here. Sam's head bobbed up and down in response, before he mumbled a quiet 'yes' in his sleep. "I'm freaking out just a little Sam, something doesn't feel right and it has been an hour the doctor would have come back for me by now." Something drew her forwards in between the two beds, she spared a glance at Sam before honing in on Dean who for once in a long while looked peaceful in his sleep. Michelle hoped that he was having a good dream filled with pie and everything else that made him happy. "I need to go see what Doctor Dark-heart is up to. I'll be right back Babe," Michelle stated kissing Dean's forehead causing the older Winchester to turn over in his sleep.

"I'll be back as fast as I can be, Sam. I just don't feel right about this," Michelle said staring at Sam's sleeping face. When she thought of the doctor her body moved instantaneously, Michelle had no idea how she did it but it happened.

Being back at the abandoned warehouse was not a comfort but at least she could see the doctor and what he was up to. The doctor was standing over a child, a little boy that was no older than six years old. Michelle felt her spirit wrench as the doctor sunk his hand wrist deep into the child's forehead. The kid screamed out in terror and the doctor was whispering something that Michelle couldn't make out. She wondered what the kid was seeing, but that didn't matter at the moment because an unseen force pushed her towards the doctor receding from the safety of the shadows.

"Why don't you stop picking on the kid and try me on for size?" Michelle exclaimed, but no one seemed to hear her neither the doctor or the child. The lights above them flickered before Michelle felt herself propelled forward as the child screamed. Nothing mattered to her more than getting the doctor away from the little boy and protecting him at all costs. The doctor was snapped out of the kid's head and Michelle stood over him trying to keep the doc's hands off of him. The lights flipped on just as the doctor decided he wanted to come back in.

She tried to wake the child but he wouldn't stir no matter what she did. In the end she stood where the ghost had just been and put her hand where he had. Michelle was sucked into his nightmare. She was dressed like a firefighter and in the center of a house that was on fire and crumbling around her. As a piece of the ceiling fell off the boy screamed again, loudly from where he was hiding behind one of the support beams. The boy was shaking in the haze and Michelle could barely make him out.

"Sweetie," Michelle called out as she approached the boys shaking form. "What's your name?" She asked reaching out a hand. The boy flinched away from her burring himself farther into the corner. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to get you out of here."

The boy shook his head as Michelle removed her hand away from him. His scared eyes just watched her every move. Michelle took a step back to give the kid some space, but she realized that if they didn't get out of there soon that they would both be toast. "I don't want to pressure you or anything, but we are kinda pressed for time."

"I'm scared..." The little boy muttered scooting towards Michelle.

"I know. I just want to help you. My name is Michelle." She got down to his level and reached out her hand to him again, this time he took her hand his little fingers shaking in hers. Michelle helped him up and started leading him towards the door.

"I'm Kyle," the boy responded is voice shaky.

"It's okay Kyle. I'm going to get you out of here safely."

"The Man in Black-"

"Is not going to get you," Michelle cut him off. "Not while I'm around. Now, just follow me." She guided him as far as she could until the darkness from the smoke.

"Michelle," Kyle gulped out in a fit of coughs. "I can't breathe..." The kid wheezed pretty bad and it made Michelle worry for his health.

"Relax, it's only a dream Kyle. Just stay with me. We are almost at the door. Once we are out of here I promise you that I will get you out." Michelle pulled him forward, but the flames were growing around them blocking their exit.

"Michelle!" Kyle cried out in panic. "We're trapped!"

"Kyle, listen to me. This is a dream, your dream gone cuckoo because of the Man in Black. You can take the dream back, just focus on what you want," Michelle explained. She let out a scream as a huge hunk of the ceiling came crumbling down nearly taking out Kyle, Michelle used her body to block the boy. It burned but she knew that if Kyle died or snapped out of this to suddenly he would be a walking soul just like her, except he wouldn't have protection from the reaper or the doctor like she did.

"MICHELLE!" Kyle screamed, he wasn't breathing. "I'm scared Michelle."

"I'm okay." Another piece fell just as she was trying to reassure Kyle, and it knocked her down nearly rendering her unconscious. "Kyle, focus... Get us out of here please... Make the fire go away." Kyle nodded, taking in a deep breath and the fire in front of them lessened and Kyle managed to prop up Michelle and walk out of that building with her.

As soon as the flashing lights of the emergency response crew were in view a white light flashed in front of Michelle and Kyle, and the scene around them faded. Michelle was snapped back to where she stood in front of Kyle's sleeping form. The little boy's eyes were flickering under his eyelids and she could tell he was going to wake up.

They were alone and Michelle didn't even feel the doctor watching her anymore. When Kyle's eyes shot open he immediately took in the scene around him, the only thing Michelle needed to know was if Kyle could see her. When he sat up Kyle called out, "Michelle?" That was when his eyes fell on her and from what she could tell he could see her.

"I'm here Kyle, can you see me?" Michelle asked, wondering if he could see and hear her. When he nodded, Michelle let out a sigh of relief. "Well, we need to get you out of here. Follow me, Kyle." Kyle got up off of the hospital bed and let Michelle lead him towards the door. When he tried to grab her hand he went straight through her, the child looked panicked for a minute before Michelle spoke or tried to at least.

"What are you? A ghost?" Kyle asked taking a step away from her.

"No, maybe, I'm not exactly sure. Listen I know you are scared Kyle, but I am not going to hurt you. I'm just as scared as you are at this point. Please, just let me get you out of here so that the doctor can't hurt you again," Michelle pleaded, hoping the boy would listen to her. Kyle was still seriously freaked out but he took a tentative step towards her.

"Do you know where we are?" Kyle asked just as they finally found a door.

Michelle shook her head. "I'm just focusing on the out part." She let out a laugh as Kyle pushed the door open slowly. She thought about Sam wondering what he was seeing or even if he was still with her. "Sam, if you are still here with me pay attention. This is where I am."

"Who's Sam?" Kyle asked as the walked out of the warehouse and into the dimly lit street.

"My friend," Michelle responded keeping close to Kyle as he walked the street.

"Is Sam dead too?" Kyle asked.

"No, he's alive and looking for me. He and his brother are going to find the doctor and end this. I am just trying to help them," Michelle explained, urging the child forwards she could make out 'Stinkie's' diner in the distance. "Start calling for help, Kyle. Keep walking towards the diner."

"What about you?" Kyle asked looking up at her, sounding worried.

"Come play with me Michelle," the little girl's voice was in her head once again. The doctor's children were coming back to her.

"Kyle, just keep going. Get to the diner and don't worry about me. Just get into the light and stay there," Michelle commanded and Kyle nodded before he kept walking. The boy made it to the diner and was now inside. A smile crept onto Michelle's face when she saw Kyle safe in the diner, but it vanished quickly when the doctor's children appeared next to her.

The girl was up in Michelle's face hooking her arm around her waist and trying to push her to the ground. When she stumbled Michelle noticed one thing, the little boy was uninterested in what his sister was doing. His chubby little face was distorted in sadness and guilt that no little boy should have to feel, dead or alive. That is who Michelle decided to focus on him for and put the girl out of her mind. The little boy's eyes were both uninterested and guilty at the same time; he didn't want to do this.

"Hey, what's is your name?" Michelle asked the boy approaching where he sat on the ground against a telephone pole.

"Stay away from my brother," the girl growled grabbing Michelle's hair and trying to pull her away from her little brother.

"Leave her alone!" The doctor's son screamed at his big sister. "She didn't do anything wrong!"

"This bitch is giving Dad issues Marvin. Why don't you care about that? She is going to get Dad killed," the girl growled forgetting Michelle for a moment to reprimand her brother.

"Whoa colorful language, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Michelle asked with a smirk earning a glare from the little girl at the mention of her mother. "You don't want to do this, do you Marvin?"

Marvin looked into Michelle's eyes before staring back at the ground. "No. Dad and Rochelle wanted me to do this. They told me that my Mom would be mad at me for abandoning my family..."

"No, your Mom would not be angry with you Marvin. I bet she is waiting for you up there." Michelle pointed up to the clouds, that painted gray splotches on the slowly fading starlit sky.

"You think so?" Marvin asked, the guilt receding and hope was slowly taking its place.

"She's lying to you Marv," the girl protested. "Mom would never accept you after what you've done, especially if you betray me and Dad. We are all going to hell."

"That isn't true!"

"Yes it is! Ask her. Ask her, what the big man upstairs does to ghosts like us?" Rochelle pointed at Michelle and she looked taken aback.

"Sends them to hell, but you are not like them. Anyone can ask forgiveness and be accepted by him. Your Momma is waiting for you little man," Michelle said.

"How do I ask? I want to see my Mom," Marvin whined.

"Just tell God you are sorry and mean it. I'm sure he will get the message," Michelle encouraged and the little boy's eyes clenched shut before he muttered things that neither Rochelle or Michelle heard, neither of them wanted to eavesdrop or in the sister's case she just didn't care. "Then just let yourself move on."

When the boy's eyes opened again he looked peaceful and maybe even happy. He tugged on Michelle's grey robe before asking, "What's that light?"

"I don't know," Michelle responded, even though there was so much that she wanted to tell him.

"I can see my Mom!" Marvin exclaimed, looking to his sister. "Do you see her Roch? She is calling for me."

"Marvin, don't listen to her. She isn't real," Rochelle screamed at her brother, seething with rage. Michelle smacked the girl.

"Leave your brother alone!" Michelle grabbed the girl when she lunged at her brother. "Go ahead Marvin, go to your Mother." The little boy nodded, before he ran so far and disappeared becoming a bright flash of light in front of them before it dissipated before them. Rochelle was so angry stamping her feet and lashing out at Michelle.

Suddenly the girl stilled and her posture changed before she turned to Michelle and grabbed her hand. "I see the light, but I'm too afraid to go alone. Come with me." Rochelle tried to pull her forwards but Michelle wasn't budging.

"You don't see anything and I'm not going anywhere with you. It doesn't work that way Sweetie," Michelle growled at the little girl and broke away from her. "The only light you are going to see is the flames, before you are dragged to hell."

The girl only heard part of what Michelle said, and she didn't seem phased by her situation. "That's okay, because my Daddy already took yours away. I am going to go help him loosen the screws in his brain and watch him cry out in fear." The child giggled before she was gone, reappearing outside of the diner watching Kyle talk to the police that had just arrived.

"DEAN!" Michelle screamed and she was back in the hotel room standing over Sam. The T.V. flicked on and the news blared breaking the silence. Sam jolted awake noticing first that Dean was gone and second that the news was on and the story was about a boy that went missing a few hours prior had been found, when he wandered into a local diner.

"Michelle?" Sam muttered, looking around the room and the lights flicked on. "I saw everything. I know where he is keeping you and Dean, hopefully. You did really good helping that boy, go find Dean." He was still half asleep, and wasn't sure if he was ready to get up just yet. Michelle nodded and Sam could faintly feel Michelle leave. As soon as Sam's head hit the pillow he fell back to sleep for about an hour, before he shot up remembering what was going on.

Michelle found the doctor standing over Dean's sleeping form. Dean would look normal except for the fact that he was laying on a hospital gurney and there was an I.V. in his arm that contained a black murky fluid. She couldn't imagine what Dean was seeing in his nightmare, because he hunted monsters most of his life and lost so many people in the process, saved many more though. The doctor was muttering things into Dean's ear and it drove Michelle crazy.

"How much does he know?" Michelle asked, stepping out of where she was concealed in the shadows to stand in the dimly lit operating room. When the doctor looked up at her she made the question clearer, "about what is happening and where he is right now?"

"Nothing. This hunter is kind of dense, he doesn't even realize I grabbed him yet. Although he doesn't need my help making nightmares. This man fears losing everyone he cares about or even them being possessed and him having to end them. So that is where he is on a hunt with his baby brother, and you my friend are in on it with the demon. Oh, you just killed Sam. What a pity. I can feel Dean's hatred for you burn intensely, that is the one thing that will break him; losing his family, his little brother Sam." The doctor smiled looking over at Michelle. She rushed at the doctor, but he threw her against the wall. "Relax, sit and enjoy the show."

"No, no, please don't do this to him. Dean's a good person. Isn't a child, he won't fall for the tricks you whispering in his ear and telling him to trust you. He doesn't trust, he doesn't even trust me," Michelle responded. The doctor just continued to hold her back from Dean, even though she wasn't sure there was anything she could do for Dean except to get that damn I.V. out of his arm.

"Can you really blame him? I mean you have a demon coaching you in hell. You ever tell him about that?" When Michelle's gaze fell the doctor smirked. "Of course you haven't. You don't trust him fully either. I don't really care what kind of person he is, you are a good person just like him. Imagine the buzz I'm going to get when I tell the demonic circles that I have the great Dean Winchester incapacitated and soon to be available as a vessel."

"You'll never be able to keep him Sam will-" Michelle tried to spit at the spirit but his hand on her throat ending any further words from escaping her.

"Sam will be here soon with me also. Don't think of him as your savior, when none of you can even safe yourselves," The doctor growled. "The yellow-eyed demon will come take Sam, all part of the plan."

"Your son," Michelle gasped out, because she was feeling weak and tired of listening to the demon's master plan.

The hand that was grasping her throat loosened and the other tightened on her wrist keeping her against the wall. He smacked her before he got into her face. "My son will not help you. He helps me and will help me until the day he is killed, or I am."

Michelle scoffed. "About that Doc, your son moved on. He saw the light and left. Also, your wife was there to take him just so you know he's safe. He isn't going to hell like you and that little bitch that you are manipulating into doing this. How low can you go? Using your own children to do your dirty work for you. Your daughter is alright, but I think she is still stalking that little boy, you should stop her cause I bet that is the first place Sam will go. If she is seen her fate will be sealed."

The doctor dropped her, before walking around the room circling Dean once before whispering something in his ear. The doctor looked like he was about to leave when he turned to Michelle and said, "Good luck trying to get through to him, that nightmare of his has taken a crazy turn to the part where you and the demon are one in the same."

"Why don't you go put a muzzle on your daughter?" Michelle asked.

"You killed Sam, even if you break into the nightmare I doubt he will listen to anything you say. You have about a half hour," the doctor muttered flashing her a smile.

"Just get out!" The lights flickered for a moment before the bulbs shattered in there places.

"I will be right back," the doctor stated before he vanished in the darkness. "Be sure to leave the lights off for me." Then he was gone, leaving Michelle and Dean alone.

The first thing Michelle did was pulled the I.V. out of Dean's arm slowly. He groaned but was still asleep. "Come on Dean. Wake up! I really don't want to play head games with you. I don't, well I won't get into your head." That was when a scream of rage broke free from Dean and that forced Michelle to do what she didn't want to. As the doctor did to Kyle, Michelle did to Dean her palm sunk into his forehead and the world swirled around her in a rush of wind.

What she appeared in shocked her more than anything, she was dressed in all black and bloodstained her hands. Dean was chained to the brick wall a few feet away from her and he was so angry and hurt. When she took a step closer to him, Dean scooted away from her.

"Dean-"

"Don't talk to me. Don't act like you care about me you evil bitch," Dean growled, lashing out at Michelle landing a swift kick to her midsection sending her into the far wall. The wind was knocked out of her and she was thrown out of the dream.

"Damn it! I was just trying to help." It was just darkness around her and she had no idea if she was still alive or if she had somehow been forced to cross over. Her hand was still reaching out into Dean's mind, and the connection was there still, she could feel Dean. His panic and the unbearable pain he was feeling. "I'm coming back for you Dean, once I figure out where the heck I am."


End file.
